The Les Mis song, “One Day More” came to mind yesterday. Our repair learning continues. Markus came and installed our new alternator. The First Mate watched, took videos and believes she can install an alternator if she had to with the videos. Markus, from Altech is not only an excellent mechanic, but also an excellent teacher.

Unfortunately, after installing the new alternator the battery alarm still went off. That is bad, and a little puzzling. More on the sleuthing later. But as the alarm went off, Markus came up to the helm and pressed a small unmarked black button that we have never used before to turn off the blaring siren that accompanies the warning light. It was amazing! We didn’t even feel stupid. We just felt joyful and relieved that the siren can be turned off! Sometimes the simplest epiphanies are the best.

And we were treated to a mother and juvenile eagle right in front of us.

On to the sleuthing. The replacement, more powerful alternator did not solve the battery warning, apparently because it wasn’t even receiving the correct voltage messages from the batteries. So we spent time sleuthing, looking for the source of the electrical short circuit. Marcus called in Ian Boyd (a marine electrician) and we all concluded that it was probably one of the four “house” batteries creating the short circuit.

The First Mate had noticed previously that our batteries are unusually hot. But this is the first time someone said that’s bad and in fact potentially dangerous. While only two batteries were immediately available, it turns out we can run on just two for a short time. And they have arrived and will be installed today! Woohoo! So we will leave the dock this afternoon and cruise to some of the nearby excellent anchorages. Unfortunately we can’t go north until we get the other 2 batteries and that will take another week.

So we will tool around our favorite “North Desolation” anchorages over the next week and then come back to Campbell River for the two other batteries and another little electric upgrade (an “Automatic Charger Relay” to replace our “Isolator.”) Our 38th Anniversary is tomorrow. Hopefully, we will be anchored tonight at the Crawford Anchorage at Erasmas Island near the Blind Channel Resort.

On the fun side: after agreeing on our plan, we left the dock for a tender excursion and enjoyed a lovely afternoon and evening at the April Point Resort and its sister facility across Discovery Harbour: Painter’s Lodge.

Later today the technicians are going to remove the four bad batteries and install our two new batteries. They weigh 150 pounds each. Here’s hoping the battery warning light turns off after that. If not we at least now know how to silence it! Yeah!

So, the new batteries are installed. The alarm is still on. But, the electrician says that it’s now got to be the isolator. We’ve been released from the dock. Alls good, no worries, silence the alarm, see you in a week.

We are off.

The Captain and the First Mate of the True Love